Scarcity vs. Abundance: The Myth of Not Enough
Beyond materialities and into the depths of the heart
I published my first Substack post almost exactly one week ago, right before I closed my laptop to get ready for a wedding. My partner and the groom go way back, intersecting in each other’s lives in a variety of spaces (I joke that he’s already lived a million lives). I had only met the couple a handful of times, but their love just radiates out of them, touching the hearts of anyone lucky enough to share space with them—I was elated when we were invited. Authenticity and presence just pour out of them.
Here’s what I wasn’t expecting: the overflow of emotions I felt when they first stepped into the room as newlyweds. They paused, looked around at over 1,000 people, and somehow managing to lock eyes with each person as their witness. I couldn’t help but ugly cry, accepting the likelihood of black streaks running down my face. Did I wear waterproof mascara? I thought to myself for a brief moment. Is it weird that I’m crying for people I hardly know?
What stood out to me in this moment (besides how stunningly beautiful she looked) was how deeply happy I felt, for them. The kind of happiness you feel for another person that we don’t often access. It’s like…the feeling we can only tap into when we’re rooted in a sense of fullness within ourselves—not living with scarcity mindset. More often than not, it’s hard to live from that source, given the modern-day grind of quick dopamine hits, material acquisition, and the pull of social status.
This experience has had me contemplating throughout the week that followed: Where is that deep sense of happiness for another rooted? How can one embody that feeling so we can experience it more often? This brought me to reflect on scarcity vs. abundance. We’ve all heard the phrase: “Rewire your mindset to abundance, and abundance will come.” Sure, that sounds good in theory. But why do we feel scarcity in the first place? It’s rooted in our current perception of safety and survival—shaped by multigenerational imprints etched into both mind and body.
The Ancient Root of Scarcity
We quite literally have more than any generation in the history of humankind, yet it never feels like enough. Why is that? The constant push of new products tells us to look or feel a certain way—feeding the idea that we’re not enough, that we don’t have enough, or that once we do X we’ll finally feel Y. In the process, we’ve become desensitized to the abundance that already exists both within and around us.
This comes from being hardwired into a scarcity mindset, deeply rooted in the survival needs of our ancient ancestors, who faced a constant struggle for limited resources like food and water. Back then, this instinct ensured survival. But today, it lingers as a belief in scarcity and competition—taking shape through anxiety, competitiveness, even a resistance to long-term vision, as it triggers (and sustains) the nervous systems fight-or-flight response (a physiological and psychological reaction to a perceived threat or stressor).
The Embodiment of Abundance
The shift from scarcity to abundance begins with awareness. The moment you notice, you are disrupting patterns of thought in real time (I spoke on this in my first essay, which spoke on the embodiment of deep listening, found here). With that awareness, the steps unfold in practice:
01. Practice gratitude for what you already have.
→ Start small: name three things each day that bring you ease, joy, or support. I like to do this the moment I wake up—before the chatter of the mind and influence of my surroundings takes over. Over time, the nervous system begins to recognize sufficiency instead of lack.
02. Challenge the limiting beliefs that reinforce the illusion of needing more.
→ Notice when these thoughts arise (“I’ll be happy when…” or “I don’t have enough…”). Ask yourself: Is this absolutely true? Often, simply questioning the thought loosens its grip.
03. Cultivate awareness of the abundance that already exists.
→ Pause to take in what surrounds you: the food in your kitchen, the connections in your life, even the breath in your lungs. This practice shifts your orientation from scarcity toward presence.
“Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.”
— Wayne Dyer
Ancient Texts → Modern Day
This scarcity lens isn’t new—it’s written in ancient teachings. In Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, Avidyā (spiritual ignorance) is described as the root misunderstanding of reality. It’s a foundational klesha (affliction/mental disruption: more on that in another essay) that leads us to mistake the impermanent for the eternal, the impure for the pure, and the not-Self for the true Self. In many ways, our modern scarcity mindset is a reflection of the same misunderstanding.
When we confuse external achievement, possessions, or status for true fulfillment, we are caught in Avidyā. This is why abundance can be right in front of us, yet still feel out of reach. The antidote, just as the traditions teach, comes through practices that restore clarity—gratitude, awareness, yoga, meditation. These practices help us peel back the layers of misperception so we can experience reality as it is, rather than through the distorted lens of “not enough.”
If this reflection speaks to you, we’ll be exploring these themes more deeply at my upcoming retreat in British Columbia in October. Two spots remain—an invitation to step out of scarcity and into embodied abundance. Details can be found [here →].
Loved this so much, thank you for sharing this wisdom and reminder 🫶🏽